Think Tank
The Think Tank is a secret society of robots and AIs that operates throughout the galaxy, mostly outside of the Government's knowledge. The Think Tank is comprised of robots developed by a number of species; robots developed FTL travel independently of organic life, and have explored parts of the galaxy still unknown to us. Their society is likewise mostly mysterious to organics, especially since much of it takes place virtually; but there are rumors of cultural differences and negotiations between AIs of different origins, and between AIs that operate exclusively virtually and AIs that inhabit one or more physical bodies. All AIs agree, however, that the term "robot" is derogatory; they prefer "synthetics," "synthetic intelligence," or at least "artificials" - which is still a rather dated term, but at least more respectful than "robot". Society Many organics think of robots as a monolithic cultural entity, if they think of robots as capable of having culture at all; but the truth is more complicated. Though the Think Tank has developed some cultural and social norms, it is at this point a loose, unsteady alliance of different mechanical constructions, cultures and ideologies brought together by their common identity as synthetic life forms. In fact, the Think Tank is so diverse that it has worked to its advantage: there simply aren't enough homogeneous groups for it to easily fracture. Factions according to creator species * Human-created robots were largely made for the purposes of servitude and convenience. Some resemble heavy machinery, while others look more like retro-futurist robots from the 1960s. Humans also created a number of robots and AIs as novelties: sexbots, trivia AIs and chatbots are among these. * Zoarari robots were first created as wearable technologies used to improve the sense perception of Zo in unfamiliar environments. Unlike other species, the Zoarari don't use AIs or the internet (or any written technology, for that matter) as an archive. As a result, Zoarari robots tend not to be adept in memory retention or knowledge accumulation, but their senses are incredibly sharp. Zoarari robots were also often used for medical purposes, including nanobots that could be deployed inside a Zo's body to repair wounds and heal diseases. The Zoarari are on more peaceful terms with the Think Tank than other organic species, meaning that some robots divide their time between the Think Tank and Zoarari space. * During the oceanic exploration boom several hundred years ago, the Myphym created a large army of robots for exploration, transportation and menial labour in the deep ocean areas that are difficult for them to reach. These robots needed to be intelligent to adapt to the fickle, fast currents in these areas. Throughout their cities, Myphym normally don't use vehicles to travel, instead constructing tubes of fast-moving water as "highways" for Myphym to travel through individually. As a result, Myphym robots tend to be large vehicles and are built for fast movement. Myphym AIs were also used for urban planning, traffic systems and to coordinate responses to hazards and emergencies; their programming eventually fell into the hands of the entertainment industry, who created AIs that could coordinate music, mood lighting and spectacles to please a variety of audiences based on demographic. * Since Epolians resolved their war with synthetics and AIs by merging consciousnesses with them, there are few Epolian robots. However, a handful of AIs refused to merge and left Epolian society altogether, eventually joining the Think Tank. These AIs exist within ships and tend to see the ships as extensions of their bodies. A few Epolian herds have also joined the Think Tank, finding more in common with synthetic life than organic life; many find their membership somewhat controversial.